Really nasty disease, endemic to many regions here. It's the worst in marshy areas. Muskrats and water voles seem to be one of the key hosts. You can also get it from rabbits/hares, squrrels and other rodents, from tick bites (ticks are a vector), and just by ingesting the pathogen. Last year, a man got sick after squishing ticks he had gathered from his clothes with a knife, and then cutting food with the same knife (or so he said). All people who come in contact with semiaquatic rodents (hunters/trappers, biologists, agriculture workers, as well as people who work outdoors in the affected regions, such as oilfield workers) are advised to get the vaccine. The vaccine is live so it's not without unpleasant side effects (it's administered through scratches on the shoulder), still many people I know choose to get the shot, mostly after learning about the disease directly from those who were unlucky to catch it. It's really unpleasant - symptoms are similar to bubonic plague - and recovery is very slow. A few people still catch it every year, and there was a big outbreak up north in Yugra in 2013 I think, when about a thousand people got sick, including many kids.

I haven't heard of anyone getting it from eating beaver meat, yet, but I wouldn't be surprised, with the growing beaver populations here.

Our rodent populations are routinely screened for tularemia by testing for specific antibodies.

Pretty sure I found a beaver with tularemia a few years ago on one of my lottery drawing spots. One of the grey foxes turned in for the grey fox study a while back had tularemia. thats why i always check the livers of beaver i plan to eat and always were gloves skinning.

I was trapping early season (under ice ) beaver in late 90s in AB. Set hard on houses with strong feed piles and good bubble trails on runs. First check or 2 really through me- some houses producing nothing on sets that normally have high percentage success. Where I caught beavers they were all larger , no 1-2 year olds from what I remember.

Second guessed my trapping abilities; moved traps around - little frustrated. Pulled traps at end of days off, then jumped on mining company plane to head back to NWT tundra for another 2 week shift at a gold mine. Was in Geology there. Anyways ; a few days into shift got strong fevers and chills. Went to on-site nurse; who sent me out on next 737. They didn’t know what I had; but I was a threat to the camp

My dad was talking to his brother (uncle) about my symptoms. My uncle was a long standing rural doctor who immediately asked my dad if I had been trapping beavers. He mentioned that at at least 45 trappers he knew about had picked up Tuleramia already. Told my dad what prescription would work, the first
Pills worked fast thankfully

My learnings - I had noted a puss ball on a small knife cut on a finger… this was entry point I realized later. I always wear gloves now! Tuleramia is no joke; and can even cause death. I have been expecting another outbreak again - with high beaver populations. Better pelt prices will increase harvest and somewhat reduce threat of disease; but not convinced there is enough people taking them . I have certainly increased my beaver catch over last few years.

With N America population so high , at least where drought isn’t limiting.. seems like a high probability of widespread spread in future.

Stay safe out there

It is killing them here as well. I think population density has a lot to do with it. Mother nature culling the herd so to speak. I am pulling everything tomorrow. I have found five dead beaver in the last two weeks. Seems to affect certain areas and then a mile up or down stream the population is healthy.

Is it possible to somehow tell by looking at the liver or other organ if the animal has tularemia? If we're eating beavers, is there some layman's test we can at least sort-of use?

white spots on the liver are a good possible indicator. also it may be enlarged

I remember reading articles in trapping publications back in the 70's that warned about tularemia in muskrats. I've been wearing rubber gloves ever since then, even when dressing out big game.

It all falls into the category of blood born pathogens. Gloves are cheap.